Farm-gate.



" w. P; WATSON.

FARM GATE. 7 APPLICATION FILED 'APB.8,1908

Patented Dec. 29, 1908,

WILLIAM Pinon yvArsoN, or FRANKLIN, KENTUCKY;

Specification of Letters Patent.

imam-earn.

Patented sec. 29, 1908.

Application as April-8, 1908., Serial so. $25,917.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I,WILLIAM PRICE WAT- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residtion and to the ing at Franklin, in the county of Simpsonand State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Im rovementsin Farmtion.

The object of this invention is to rovide a simple and easily operatedgate oft e class particularly adapted for use on farms, road ways, orthe like.

The invention resides particularly irr the operating mechanism wherebythe gate is opened and closed. V v

For a full understanding of the invention and the mode of operationthereof, reference is to be had to the following detaildescripaccompanying drawings, n which- Figure 1 isa perspective view ofa gate embodying the essential features of the invention, dotted linesshowing the position of the weighted lever when the gate is opened; Fig.2 is a top plan view of the latch operating mechanism detached from thegate,

and Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section,

showing more clearly the connection between" the joint of the lever andthe lower section of the same.

Throughout the following description and on the several fi ures of 'thedrawings similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Specifically describing the detail construction of the invention, andreferrin particularly to the drawings the numera 1 designates a suitableformof gate post upon which the gate 2 is mounted for horizontalswinging movement, being hinged to the post 1 as shown at 3. A latchpost 4 is pro- 'vided with a suitable catch 5 which is adapted to beengaged by a latch 6 carried by the gate and which locks the gate inclosed position as shown most clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Thegate 2 is preferably braced by a diagonally arranged connection 7 whichmay be of wire, or the like, and the lower end of which is preferablyconnected'by any suitable adjustable means, such as an eye bolt 8 withthe outer lower portion of the gate. Adjustment of the connection 7 willprevent sagging of the gate 2 in an evident manner.

Mounted on the gate 2 longitudinally thereof and supported by suitableoutstandowing is a specifica- 1 Zing brackets 9 is a shaft 10 upon theouter end of which is mounted the latch 6, said latch being adjustableby means of a set screw '11. The innermost end of the shaft 10 isprovided with'a crank arm 12 projecting upwardly therefrom and movablein a loop. 13 attached to and projecting out- Wardly from a side of thegate 2. The upper end of the arm 12 is formed with an eye 14 ivotall'connected with the upper end of a ointed ever 15 arranged atone side ofthe ate. The lever 15 consists of upper and ower sections 15 and 15connected together by a pivot joint 16. The joint 16 comprises an uppermember having oilstanding ears pivotally connected with the upperportionof a lower member 16, as shown at 17. The lower member 16 of the joint16 is hollow or tubular at the lower portion thereof and receives in thetubular 1s practically swivelly connected with its joint. At its lowerend the lever 15 is formed with a lateral extension 20 ournaled in asupporting post 21 which 006' crates to support the operating ropes 22 ywhich thegate 2 is opened and closed. The operating ropes 22 pass over adouble pulley 23 carried by the post'21 and from said pulley 23 eachrope extends to and over a single pulley 24 supported by a post 25 oneof which is located upon each side of the gate 2, and some distancetherefrom. Handles 26 are applied to the opposite ends of the ropes 22and may be grasped in actuating the ropes in operating the gate. Mountedadjustably upon the lower section 15 of the lever 15. is a weight 27held at a desired adjustment by means of a set screw 28. The position ofthe weight 27 is determined by the size of the gate 2 with which theoperating mechanism comprising this invention is used.

The operating ropes 22 are connected at the adjacent inner ends thereofwith the upper member of the joint 16 and when either of the ropes ispulled the lever 15 is moved movement imparts a slight lateral tiltingmovement to the arm 12. of the shaft 10 thereby lifting the latch 6 outof engagement with the catch 5 and simultaneously causing the gate tomove toward its open position. Only a slight pull upon the ropes 22 isnecessary to open the gate for the reason that as soon as the joint 16of the lever 15 is broken, and the weight 27 is carried into a positionupon the opposite side of the. axis 20, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.1, the gravitating force of said weight is sufficient to cause the finalopening movement .of said gate. The above is true also in the closingmovement of the gate because the weight 27 performs the same function ineifecting the closing movement thereof, as soonas the said weight passesto that side of the axis 20 nearer the gate. As the gate closes thesections of the lever 15 assume alined positions and the latch 6automatically engages the catch 5 and is held-in such engagement by theweighted lever 15'.

It will be apparent that the pivotal connection of the upper end of thelever 15 with the eye 14 of the crank 12 moves in the are of a circle,as'the gate 2 opens and closes. This arcuate movement necessitates thatthe lower member of the joint 16 have the swivel connection 18 and 19with the lower section of the lever 15, since the pivotal axis 20 of thelever 15 does not change as the gate opens and closes. In opening andclosing the gate,

- the lower member 16" of the joint 16 rotates slightly with referenceto the section 15 of the lever 15, or in other words has a sort ofswivel movement.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In combination, a gate, operating mechanism therefor, including ajointed lever movable at its lower end about a pern'ianent axis andpivotally connected at the upper end With the gate, operating devicescon neete d with the lever to cause the same to break joint and effectopening or closing movement of the gate, and a swivel connection betweenthe joint and body of the lever.

2. In combination, a gate, operating mechanism therefor, including ajointed lever movable at its lower end about a permanent axis andpivotally connected at the upper end with the gate, operating devicesconnected with the lever to cause the same to breakjoint and effectopening or closing {I movement of the gate, and a transverse pin andslot connection between the lever and a section of the joint aforesaid.

3. In combination, agate, operating means therefor including asupporting post, a shaft mounted on the gate, a latch adj nstahly (onneeted with the shaft, a catch coo wrining with the latch, a crank armprojecting: from the shaft, a jointed lever pivotally onnertml with thesupporting post aforesaid and movable about said pivotal connection as apermanent axis, a pivotal connection 'hetnren said lever and the crankarm of the shaft, a weight supported by one of the jointed parts of t elever, a swivel connection between one of the jointed parts of ll elever and the body thereof, and operating devices ronneeiml with thelever.

In testimony whereof I allix my signal nre in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM PRICE WA "S5 N Witnesses:

M. S. HAnnIs, JAS. '1. MCGLOTHLIN.

